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Veteran driver and former Cup champion Martin Truex Jr. was visibly agitated after missing out on the NASCAR Cup Series race at Richmond Raceway to teammate Denny Hamlin.
It's a rare sight to see a fuming Martin Truex Jr. bumping into cars after losing his cool on the race track. However, his misfortune at Richmond Raceway on Sunday during the NASCAR Cup Series Toyota Owners 400 was enough to bring out the agitation from the 43-year-old driver.
Truex, who is the oldest driver on the circuit, found himself cruising to victory in Richmond. Having won stage 2, the former Cup Series champion led a race-high 228 laps out of 400 piloting his No. 19 Toyota Camry.
However, a late Kyle Larson-spin in the 398th lap brought out the caution flag, sending the race into overtime with five added laps. As cars drove into the pit road ahead of the restart, Truex was overtaken by Hamlin and subsequently by Team Penske driver Joey Logano on Turn 2.
The former two-time Xfinity Series champion also clashed with Kyle Larson while exiting the pit road, thus being relegated to fourth position as he drove to the checkered flag.
Expressing his bitterness after missing out on what would've been his first victory of the season, Martin Truex Jr. bumped into Denny Hamlin as the latter drove into the victory lane. Truex also clashed his vehicle with Larson's No. 5 Chevrolet and was subsequently pushed into the SAFER by the Hendrick Motorsports driver.
Watch the clip below:
Martin Truex Jr. feeling mixed emotions after Richmond Cup race
Speaking to Fox Sports' Jamie Little after the race, Martin Truex Jr. expressed disappointment at being beaten out of the pits by Denny Hamlin. He said:
"It’s unfortunate. Unfortunately, this has happened a few times over the years. Just got beat out of the pits and then, I don’t know. He (Hamlin) jumped the start and used me up in Turn 1."
Despite his disappointment, Truex remains focused on the upcoming races. The 2017 Cup Series champion added:
"We were in a great spot and had a great Auto Owners Insurance Camry all night long and the guys did a really good job. Definitely sucks, but a good, solid day. Another car capable of winning. We’ll just have to come back next week and try to get them again."
Martin Truex Jr. is yet to win a race so far in the 2024 campaign. Meanwhile, his teammate Denny Hamlin secured his second victory of the season after previously winning in Bristol.
